Carton with concealable handle



July 14, 1964 Filed Aug. 24, 1962 H. R. HALL ETAL 3,140,813

CARTON WITH CONCEALABLE HANDLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR) A ARRLso/v 1?.Mn; nrvo ZEN/S FRL'AS A ITO/ENE) July 14, 1964 HALL ETAL 3,140,813

CARTON WITH CONCEALABLE HANDLE Filed Aug. 24, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTORI)- f/A RR/So/v A? #041.

AND [sh/1s lF/EEAS lrroe/vsy United States Patent Ofifice 3,143,8l3Patented July 14, 1964 3,140,813 CARTUN WTlTl-l CUNCEALABLE HANDLEHarrison R. Hall, 21 Morningside Drive, Painted Post, N.Y., and Lewis FReas, Canal t., Big Flats, N.Y. Filed Ang. 24, 1962, Ser. No. 219,243Claims. C1. 22939) This invention relates to improved carton orcontainer structure and the blank for forming same, and moreparticularly to a self-contained mailable container provided with aconcealable or foldable carrying handle and positive locking closureflaps.

In the past, it has been necessary to either bind containers to bemailed with metallic straps, cords, and the like, or to seal suchcontainers with adhesives or tape in order to insure that the containerremained closed during transit. This not only materially increases thecost of shipping and necessitates time-consuming preparation, but alsois extremely cumbersome and burdensome especially when the ultimateconsumer is the individual who has to prepare the containers formailing.

In addition to the convenience offered by packaging consumer items in areadily mailable container it is also desirable for consumer appeal,particularly when packaging frangible, bulky, or heavy consumer items,to offer a container which may be easily carried by the consumer fromthe retail shelves. To fulfill the latter requirement it is of coursenecessary to provide the container with means such as a carrying handle.However, in order to achieve the former requisite of mailability, it isnot only necessary that the handle be foldable or concealable Within thepackage for mailing, but also the end closures must be positively lockedso as to prevent accidental opening of the container when in the mail orwhile being carried.

Ease of assembly from the blank, such as when packaging the consumeritem, must also be taken into consideration in producing such acontainer, and accordingly, the use of costly and time consumingadhesives or tapes for sealing the bottom end closure is undesirable.Further, since the consumer may desire to either personally carry thecontainer or inspect the contents thereof before depositing it in themail, it is apparent that a destructible or one-use sealing means suchas adhesive or tape could not feasibly be utilized to secure the topclosure members in a positive locked position.

Basically our invention relates to an easily assembled mailablecontainer which may be conveniently hand carried, wherein the containeris provided with a self-locking bottom end portion and a positivelocking top end portion, both of which may be secured in a closedposition without the aid of binders, adhesives, or tape. In addition,the top end portion is provided with a carrying handle which is normallyfolded or concealed within the carton for facilitating the stacking ormailing thereof.

It thus has been an object of our invention to provide an improvedreadily mailable container having a concealable handle means forfacilitating the hand carrying thereof.

A further object of our invention is to provide an easily assembledcontainer having a bottom end portion provided with self-locking closureflaps.

An additional object of our invention has been to provide a positivelocking but readily openable container which is suitable for mailing, asis, without requiring the utilization of adhesives, tapes, or bindingmeans.

A still further object of our invention has been to provide an improvedblank for forming an easily assembled mailable container provided withconcealable carrying means.

An additional object of our invention has been to provide a containerhaving improved top closure flaps which may be positively locked orsecured in a closed position with a carrying handle in either anextended carrying position or a folded or concealed mailable or stackingpos1t1on.

These and other objects of our invention will be more apparent to thoseskilled in the art from the following disclosure and accompanyingdrawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a blank for forming a container embodying ourinvention;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of a container embodying our inventionand formed from the blank shown in FIGURE 1, illustrating the top endportion in a closed position with the handle in its extended or carryingposition.

FIGURE 2a is a fragmental perspective view of a container embodying ourinvention showing the closure flaps of the top end portion in apartially closed position with the handle in its extended carryingposition;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of a container embodying our inventionshowing the bottom end portion in a closed locked position; and,

FIGURE 3a is a fragmental perspective view showing the closure flap ofthe bottom end portion in a partially closed position preparatory tosecuring them in their locked position.

Referring now to the drawings and particularly FIG URE 1, a blank Ill isshown for forming our improved container. The blank 10 includes a rearpanel 21, side panels 31, 51, and a front panel 41, and a glue flap ll.The-panels 21, 31, 411, 51 and flap it are separated by crease or scorelines 22, 32, 4,2, and 5.2, respectively. An outer closure flap or lid23 is formed integrally with rear panel 21, and separated therefrom by acrease or score line 24. Inner end closure flaps 33, 53 are formedintegrally with side panel 31, 51 respectively, and separated from suchpanels by creases or score lines 34, 54. An intermediate end flap 4-3 isformed integrally with front panel 41 and separated therefrom by acrease or score line 44.

The outer end closure flap 23 is provided with a tongue or lip 12projecting outwardly from one end thereof and connected to the flap 23by means of an intermittent crease or fold line 13. A C-shaped cut 14,such as a knife cut, is formed along a portion of the crease 13. Thelongitudinal portion of cut 14 is slightly offset with respect to thecrease 13 so as to form an opening M when the tongue 12 is foldeddownwardly along fold or crease line 13 (see FIGURE 2a). A perforatedstrip 15, which may be punched out to form a longitudinal slot 15 (seeFIGURE 2) is formed in the outer end closure flap 23. A small perforatedtab 16 may also be formed along one edge of the lid or flap 23, and havethe price of the item packaged within the container printed thereon.Accordingly, if the customer desires to purchase the item as a present,he may easily remove the price thereof from the package by merelytearing out the perforated tab 16.

A locking tab 17 is formed partially out of front panel 41 andintermediate end fiap 43 by means of a U-shaped cut 18. The locking tab17 is provided with deep scores 19 which facilitate the easymanipulation thereof. A cut 20, slightly offset from the crease 44,extends outwardly from opposite sides of the tab 17, intermediate frontpanel 41 and end flap 43. The cut 29 forms a continuous opening 21? whenthe flap 43 is folded along score line 44 and tab 17 is in its openposition as shown in FIGURE 2a. A pair of C-shaped cuts 60, 61, providedin flap 43 form a handle portion 52. The handle portion 62 may be foldedat an angle of approximately to the plane of the end flap 43 along scoreor crease lines 63. Inner closure flaps 33 and 53 are each provided witha recessed portion 64 for facilitating the insertion so? of locking tab17 within slot 14 such as shown in FIG- URE 2.

A slotted lower end closure flap 25 is formed integral with rear panel21 and separated therefrom by means of a crease or score line 26. Endclosure flaps 35 and 55 are formed integral with side panels 31 and 51,respectively, and separated from such panels by crease or score lines 36and 56. A tongued end closure flap 45 is formed integral with frontpanel 41 and separated therefrom by means of a score or crease 45.

The end closure flap 25 is provided with a squashed T- shaped slot 27having a short stem portion 23, forming edge or corner portions 29 whereit intersects the longitudinally extending portion. The closure flaps35, 55 are provided with a diagonal edge 37, 57, respectively. Thediagonal edges 37, 57, are so formed that when the end closure flaps 35,55 are in their closed position, a portion of each of the diagonal edgeswill overlie one of the corner portions 29. The end closure flap 45 hasa locking tongue portion 4-7 at its outer end, connected to a diverginginner end portion 43 by means of recessed catch portions which cooperatewith the stem portion 28 of slot 27 to lock the lower end portion in itsclosed position,

In assemblying a container from the blank 10, the various panels 231,31, 41, 51, and glue flap 11 are folded into a tubular configurationalong creases 22, 32, 42, and 52. A suitable adhesive or glue is appliedalong the glue flap 11 which is then secured to an inner surface edgeportion of the rear panel 21. The bottom closure flaps, forming thebottom end portion of the container, are then assembled into a closedand locked position as shown in FIGURES 3 and 3a.

Slotted end closure flap 25 is first folded inwardly along score line asto an angle of about 90 with the rear panel 21. End closure flaps 35 and55 are then folded inwardly along score lines 36 and 56, respectively,so as to lie adjacent flap 25, wherein diagonal edges 3? and 57 eachextend across one of the corner portions 29. Tongued flap 45 is thenfolded inwardly along crease or score 46, depressing flap 25 inwardlyuntil the locking tongue portion 47 enters the longitudinal section ofT- slot 27, at which time the resiliency of the score line 26 snaps theflap 25 outwardly until it abuts end flaps 35, 55.

Since the diverging inner portion 48 of flap 45 overlies the outer endof flaps 35 and 55, these flaps limit and restrain the outward movementof flap 25. Further, the recessed catch portions 49 of flap 45ccoperably engage the side edge portions of the stem portion 28 of slot27 and lock the bottom end portion in a closed position. Since thetongue portion 47 is extended outwardly beyond the recessed portions 49,the bottom closure portion of the container is, in effect, selfloclring,and the flap 4-5 cannot slip out of the slot 27 in flap 25. Accordingly,any outward force exerted on the bottom or closure end portion of thecontainer, such as by the merchandise packaged therewitiin, actuallyincreases the degree of locking effected by the lower end closure flaps.

After the lower end portion of the container has been assembled, aspreviously described, and the merchandise positioned therewithin, theupper closure flaps are then folded into a positive locked positionwhich is suitable for mailing without requiring additional adhesive,binding, or tape. Inner closure flaps 33 and 53 are first foldeddownwardly along score or crease lines 34 and 54, re spectively, so asto lie substantially in the same plane and form an angle ofapproximately 90 with their re spective side panels. The locking tab 1'7is folded baclo wardly from intermediate end flap 453, in a manner shownin FIGURE 2a, and flap 43 is folded downwardly along crease or scoreline 44 to the plane of the top of the container, thus forming slot 29'along slot 20.

Tongue 12 of outer end flap 23 is then folded along score line 13 so asto form an angle of approximately 90 with the plane of flap 23, and theflap is folded along score line 24 to form an angle of approximately 90with the rear panel 21. During the downward movement of outer endclosure flap or lid 23, the tongue 12 is directed through slot 20 andpositioned within the container adjacent the upper portion of the innersurface of front panel 41. When tongue 12 is folded along crease line13, the backward C-shaped cut 14 produces an open portion 14' which,when the outer flap or lid 23 as in its closed position, extendsforwardly of the container.

The locking tab 17 is then folded along its score lines 19 andpositioned through the open portion 14' to positively lock the outer endclosure flap or lid 23 in a closed position. The recesses 64', formed inthe inner closure flaps 33 and 53, permit the insertion of the lockingtab 17 through the open portion 14' without interfering with the flaps33 and 53. When the container is assembled in such a closed and lockedposition as heretofore described, it may be easily stacked upon anothersuch container or sent through the mail without requiring additionallocking or securing media.

If a purchaser should desire to carry the package, he would merely openthe upper closure portion 23 by removing the locking tab 17 from openportion 14 and extend the concealed or folded handle portion 62 as shownin FIGURES 2 and 2a. The perforated strip 15 is punched out to formelongated slot 15, and handle portion 62 is folded upwardly along creaseline 63. The outer closure flap or lid 23 is then folded downwardly andthe handle portion 62 directed through the open portion 15'. The tongue12 is directed through slot 24) and positioned within the containeradjacent the inner surface of front panel 41. Locking tab 17 is thenpositioned Within the open portion 14 to securely lock the lid. Due tothe binding or locking action of the overlying end closure flap 23,locked in position over the intermediate handle flap 43 by means oflocking tab 17, the handle portion 62 is securely locked in such amanner so as to adequately support the container and the contentspackaged therewithin. Further, due to the self-locking effect of thebottom closure portion, the weight of the contents within the containerincreases the locking effect produced by the bottom end closure flaps.

Although we have disclosed our now preferred embodiment of ourinvention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art, that variouschanges and modifications may be made thereto without departing from thespirit and scope thereof, as defined in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A container having a plurality of bounding wall panels closed at oneend, an improved closure portion for the other end having concealablecarrying handle means which comprises, an outer closure flap foldablealong a crease line at a junction with one of said wall panels, a tongueformed along a portion of the outer edge of said closure flap andfoldable along a score line at its junction with said flap, an openportion formed along said score line when said tongue is foldedtherealong, a removable perforated strip formed in said outer closureflap, an intermediate closure flap of substantially the same width andlength as said outer closure flap formed integrally with a second ofsaid wall panels and separated therefrom by a crease line, an elongatedslot formed along said crease line when said intermediate flap is foldedtherealong, a locking tab formed integrally with said second wall paneland partially out of said intermediate closure flap, end closure flapssecured to wall panels intermediate said one and said second wall panel,each of said end closure flaps foldable along a crease line at ajunction with its wall panel into a substantially common plane, a handleportion forming a part of said intermediate closure flap and foldablealong a crease line extending centrally of the width of such flapbetween a concealed position within the plane of such flap and anoperative position substantially normal to such plane; said end closureflaps and said intermediate closure flap including said handle portionunderlying said outer closure flap when said improved closure portion isclosed with the handle portion in its concealed position, said tonguepositionable through said elongated slot and adjacent an inner surfaceof said second wall panel with said locking tab positionable within saidopen portion to lock the upper closure flaps in a positively-lockedposition; and said end closure flaps and said intermediate closure flapunderlying said outer closure flap with said handle portion extendingthrough a slot formed by the removal of said perforated strip when saidimproved closure portion is closed with said handle portion in anextended position, thereby producing a projecting carrying handle meansfor facilitating the carrying of such container.

2. In a container as defined in claim 1, a recessed portion formed ineach of said end closure flaps in alignment with said locking tab whensaid end closure flaps are in folded position to cooperably receive andfacilitate the positioning of such locking tab through said openportion.

3. An improved mailable container Whose end portions may be assembledinto a closed and locked position solely by manipulating the blankforming such container which comprises, a rear panel, a front panel, anda pair of side panels, a slotted flap secured to the lower end of saidrear panel, a closed-sided T-shaped slot formed through and bounded bysaid slotted flap, a diagonallycut end flap secured to each of said sidepanels foldable as to overlie portions of said slotted flap, a lockingflap secured to the lower end of said front panel having an outwardlyprojecting locking portion extendable through said T-shaped slot with adiverging base portion overlying portions of said diagonally-cut flapsso as to lock the bottom flaps in a closed position; an outer flapformed integrally with an upper portion of said rear panel, said outerflap having a tongue portion secured thereto and foldable along a creaseline, an open portion formed along said crease line, a pair of upper endside flaps one foldably secured to the upper end of each of said sidepanels, said upper end side flaps each having a forwardly openedtab-receiving recessed portion formed therein and foldable so as to liesubstantially along the upper edge of said side panels, an intermediateflap having the same general configuration as said outer flap formedintegrally with an upper portion of said front panel and foldable tooverlie said folded upper end side flaps, said outer flap foldable oversaid intermediate flap with the tongue portion thereof extending througha slot formed in said intermediate flap and positioned within the cartonadjacent the inner surface of said front panel, and a locking tab formedintegrally with said front panel and positionable through said openportion and within said recessed portions to positively lock the upperflaps in a closed position, i

4. An improved mailable container as defined in claim 3 wherein saidouter surface flap is provided with a removable perforated strip whichmay be removed to form a slotted portion, and said intermediate flap isprovided with a handle portion foldable along a centrally extendingcrease line between a concealed position lying in the plane of such flapand an upright position perpendicular to such plane so as to extendthrough said slotted portion and provide a carrying handle for saidcontainer.

5. A blank for forming a container having a positivelocking upper endclosure portion with concealable handle means, and a self-locking bottomend closure portion which comprises; a rear panel, a side panel, a frontpanel, a second side panel and a glue flap, all separated by a pluralityof score lines extending across the blank; a first lower end closureflap formed integrally with said rear panel and separated therefrom by ascore line, a closedsided T-shaped slotted portion formed through andbounded by said lower end closure flap, a second lower end closure flapformed integrally with said first panel and separated therefrom by ascore line, said second lower end closure flap having an expanded outerend portion connected to a diverging base portion by means of recessedcatch portions, a diagonally-cut lower end flap formed integrally witheach of said side panels and separated therefrom by a score line; afirst upper end closure flap formed integrally with said rear panel andseparated therefrom by a score line, a tongue portion formed on theouter end of said first upper end closure flap, a second upper endclosure flap of substantially the same length and width as said firstupper end closure flap formed integrally with said front panel andseparated therefrom by a score line, a locking tab foldably' secured tosaid front panel and formed partially out of said second upper endclosure flap, an upper end side closure flap formed integrally! witheach of said side panels and separated therefrom by a score line, eachof said upper end side closure flaps having a recessed portion formedtherein; and foldable handle means formed in said second upper endclosure flap foldable along a longitudinally extending score linepositioned substantially centrally of the width of such flap.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,331,754 Wohlers Oct. 12, 1943 2,675,168 Clark Apr. 13, 1954 2,713,965Acker July 26, 1955 2,782,981 Mires Feb. 26, 1957 2,974,852 Hass et al.Mar. 14, 1961 2,987,235 McCallum June 6, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS 638,470Great Britain June 7, 1950

1. A CONTAINER HAVING A PLURALITY OF BOUNDING WALL PANELS CLOSED AT ONEEND, AN IMPROVED CLOSURE PORTION FOR THE OTHER END HAVING CONCEALABLECARRYING HANDLE MEANS WHICH COMPRISES, AN OUTER CLOSURE FLAP FOLDABLEALONG A CREASE LINE AT A JUNCTION WITH ONE OF SAID WALL PANELS, A TONGUEFORMED ALONG A PORTION OF THE OUTER EDGE OF SAID CLOSURE FLAP ANDFOLDABLE ALONG A SCORE LINE AT ITS JUNCTION WITH SAID FLAP, AN OPENPORTION FORMED ALONG SAID SCORE LINE WHEN SAID TONGUE IS FOLDEDTHEREALONG, A REMOVABLE PERFORATED STRIP FORMED IN SAID OUTER CLOSUREFLAP, AN INTERMEDIATE CLOSURE FLAP OF SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME WIDTH ANDLENGTH AS SAID OUTER CLOSURE FLAP FORMED INTEGRALLY WITH A SECOND OFSAID WALL PANELS AND SEPARATED THEREFROM BY A CREASE LINE, AN ELONGATEDSLOT FORMED ALONG SAID CREASE LINE WHEN SAID INTERMEDIATE FLAP IS FOLDEDTHEREALONG, A LOCKING TAB FORMED INTEGRALLY WITH SAID SECOND WALL PANELAND PARTIALLY OUT OF SAID INTERMEDIATE CLOSURE FLAP, END CLOSURE FLAPSSECURED TO WALL PANELS INTERMEDIATE SAID ONE AND SAID SECOND WALL PANEL,EACH OF SAID END CLOSURE FLAPS FOLDABLE ALONG A CREASE LINE AT AJUNCTION WITH ITS WALL PANEL INTO A SUBSTANTIALLY COMMON PLANE, A HANDLEPORTION FORMING A PART OF SAID INTERMEDIATE CLOSURE FLAP AND FOLDABLEALONG A CREASE LINE EXTENDING CENTRALLY OF THE WIDTH OF SUCH FLAPBETWEEN A CONCEALED POSITION WITHIN THE PLANE OF SUCH FLAP AND ANOPERATIVE POSITION SUBSTANTIALLY NORMAL TO SUCH PLANE; SAID END CLOSUREFLAPS AND SAID INTERMEDIATE CLOSURE FLAP INCLUDING SAID HANDLE PORTIONUNDERLYING SAID OUTER CLOSURE FLAP WHEN SAID IMPROVED CLOSURE PORTION ISCLOSED WITH THE HANDLE PORTION IN ITS CONCEALED POSITION, SAID TONGUEPOSITIONABLE THROUGH SAID ELONGATED SLOT AND ADJACENT AN INNER SURFACEOF SAID SECOND WALL PANEL WITH SAID LOCKING TAB POSITIONABLE WITHIN SAIDOPEN PORTION TO LOCK THE UPPER CLOSURE FLAPS IN A POSITIVELY-LOCKEDPOSITION; AND SAID END CLOSURE FLAPS AND SAID INTERMEDIATE CLOSURE FLAPUNDERLYING SAID OUTER CLOSURE FLAP WITH SAID HANDLE PORTION EXTENDINGTHROUGH A SLOT FORMED BY THE REMOVAL OF SAID PERFORATED STRIP WHEN SAIDIMPROVED CLOSURE PORTION IS CLOSED WITH SAID HANDLE PORTION IN ANEXTENDED POSITION, THEREBY PRODUCING A PROJECTING CARRYING HANDLE MEANSFOR FACILITATING THE CARRYING OF SUCH CONTAINER.